The Tampa Bay front office is working feverishly to solidify their roster for the upcoming season with a flurry of moves within the last 48 hours. Today’s latest development sees the team place the Franchise Tag on All-Pro Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who became a free agent after the 2023 season.
The Franchise tag, for those wondering, is a team designation that can be placed on an unrestricted free agent to retain the player’s services for the upcoming year, while also serving as a bridge to buy more negotiating time between the organization and the player’s agent. In this particular case, it is more than likely that GM Jason Licht will want to work through the off-season while the tag is on Winfield to work out a new contract, which would certainly make Antoine one of the highest paid at his position.
The 2024 franchise tag in Winfield Jr’s case is $17.123 million, ranked third amongst yearly salaries, though there is no “guaranteed money” as there is when a full extension/contract is inked. These restrictions are why both team and player alike usually attempt to work contact terms out in the off-season in the event a player gets tagged who is highly productive, which Winfield Jr. absolutely is. He has been a major piece of the Bucs’ defense since he was drafted by them in 2020.
Winfield Jr. recorded 122 total tackles, six sacks, six forced fumbles, 4 of which he recovered, and three interceptions this past season. Within the last 2 days Tampa Bay has managed to re-sign their star wide receiver, Mike Evans, and assure Antoine Winfield Jr will also remain with the team in 2024. Retaining quarterback Baker Mayfield will now be the main focus of General Manager Jason Licht and his staff.
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THE CONVERSATION.